Expedition Guide
Dismass Mariki- Dismass Mariki is a 30-year-old, licensed guide who has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro 176 times. He became inspired by the "White Mountain" while in secondary school, and paid for college by working as an assistant guide on the mountain. In 2003, he completed intensive training with Kilimanjaro National Park to become a head guide.
Travel Facts
- Country Name
- Tanzania
- Capital
- Dodoma
- Coordinates
- 6 00 S, 35 00 E
- Area
-
- Total: 945,087 sq km
- Land: 886,037 sq km
- Water: 59,050 sq km
- Elevation Extremes
-
- Low: Indian Ocean 0 m
- High: Kilimanjaro 5,895 m
- Population
- 37,849,133
- Demonym
- Tanzanian
- Climate
-
Month High Low Rain Jan 89 73 0.93 Feb 90 74 0.97 Mar 90 75 1.28 Apr 88 75 4.08 May 85 73 6.80 Jun 83 70 2.73 Jul 82 68 1.95 Aug 82 68 1.76 Sep 83 69 1.35 Oct 85 71 3.37 Nov 87 73 2.92 Dec 89 74 2.30 - Time Zone
- EAT (UTC+3)
- Currency
- Tanzanian shilling (TZS)
- Voltage
- 230 V; Plugs D & G
- Calling Code
- +255
Mount Kilimanjaro: The Roof of Africa by the Umbwe Route
- Expedition Type [ Mountain Trekking ]
- Difficulty [ Strenuous ]
- Activities [ Camping, Hiking, Rock Climbing ]
- Duration [ 7 Days ]
Expedition Timeline
Ascend Africa's highest peak via the Umbwe Route, one of the mountain's most challenging route. As you make your way up this breathtaking direct route to the summit, marvel at landscapes that shift from montane forests to alpine desert to icy summit. This strenuous Kilimanjaro trek is best suited for strong and serious climbers with experience in high altitudes. Your efforts on this ultra-steep climb - completed in a mere six days - yield handsome rewards: Not only do witness some of the most dramatic views on the continent, but you do so in near privacy, with few trekkers crossing your path.
- Day 1
Arrive Arusha, Tanzania
Arrive at Kilimanjaro International Airport, where you are met by an A&K representative and transferred to your hotel, formerly an old German hunting lodge.
Mount Meru Game Lodge- DAY 2
Arusha/Mount Kilimanjaro/Umbwe Caves Camp
After breakfast this morning, collect your permits at the Machame gate. Drive to the Umbwe gate where, after checking in, you set off up through the forest zone. The first day of hiking is not overly difficult, but certainly steepens toward the end. In the late afternoon, arrive in the first camp for dinner and overnight.
Umbwe Caves Camp [ B L D ]
Hiking Time: 6 hours (Trailhead to Umbwe Caves)
(elevation approximately 9,700 feet)- DAY 3
Umbwe Caves Camp/Barranco Camp
Start your ascent from the forest zone, encountering very steep sections. Taking it easy is essential to allow your body to acclimatize. Enjoy a picnic lunch en route, and arrive into Barranco Camp in the afternoon. The rest of the day is at leisure to take in the changed scenery and relax before dinner.
Barranco Camp [ B L D ]
Hiking Time: Approximately 6 hours (Umbwe Caves Camp to Barranco Camp)
(elevation approximately 13,000 feet)- DAY 4
Barranco Camp/Karanga Camp
From Barranco Camp, famous for the giant groundsels that grow nearby, ascend the Barranco wall and hike glacial valleys to Karanga Camp. Of the many deep gorges (barrancos) carved into the soft rocks and ashes of Kilimanjaro, the most impressive is the Great Barranco. Today is a relatively short day of hiking. Eat lunch at Karanga Camp and afterward, take a walk with your guides for stunning views of the southern walls of Kibo and deep glacial valleys.
Karanga Camp [ B L D ]
Hiking Time: Approximately 4 hours (Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp)
(elevation approximately 13,800 feet)- DAY 5
Karanga Camp/Barafu Camp
Today is another half day of hiking as you ascend to Barafu Camp. Once again, you arrive at the next camp in time for lunch, allowing plenty of time to relax before the summit bid the following day. Desolate alpine desert and occasional strong winds rip over this camp, and yet in the evening splendid views of Mawenzi peak are the norm. Enjoy a relatively early dinner before turning in for the evening.
Barafu Camp [ B L D ]
Hiking Time: Approximately 3 hours (Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp)
(elevation approximately 15,100 feet)- DAY 6
Barafu Camp/Uhuru Peak/Mweka Camp
Depart just before midnight for the final summit bid. Patience and persistence is the name of the game if you are to reach the summit by dawn, as the first rays of light start to appear. Your guide shows you the proper way to time your steps and your breathing, and watches the team closely for signs of exposure or altitude sickness. Ascending via Stella Point affords a relatively short final section to Uhuru Peak, the “Roof of Africa.”
Mweka Camp [ B L D ]
Hiking Time: Approximately 16 hours (Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak, approximately 8 hours; Uhuru Peak to Mweka Camp, approximately 8 hours)
(elevation approximately 10,170 feet)- DAY 7
Mweka Camp/Arusha/Depart
Wake to warmer temperatures in Mweka Camp, where you hear the chattering of colobus and blue-faced monkeys. Continue your descent toward Mweka Gate through Montane forest. Around midday, meet your A&K driver/guide and transfer to Mount Meru Game Lodge for lunch and the use of a dayroom until your evening departure flight.
Mount Meru Game Lodge (dayroom) [ B L ]
Hiking Time: Approximately 3 hours (Mweka Camp to Main Mweka Gate)
I stood at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, breathing the thin air of a crystal blue sky. Below me stretched the flat plain of Tanzania, almost overwhelming in its vastness. I looked in vain for the tiny spot, thousands of feet down, where our climb
had begun. 
Departure Dates & Pricing
Various Departure Dates can be arranged. Please tell us your preferred travel dates on the reservation form.